Java Management Extensions

Steve Perry has spent his time “in the trenches”. “I've been paged at 3:00 am to provide support because the system wasn't doing what it should and no one had a clue how to figure out why. I've scrolled through endless logfiles to decipher system problems, when a management solution could have presented an operator with a warning message hours earlier!” Wanting other developers to be able to learn from his experiences, Steve wrote Java Management Extensions.

Java Management Extensions is a practical, hands-on guide to using the JMX APIs, Sun Microsystem's new Java-based tool for managing enterprise applications. This one-of-a kind book is a complete treatment of the JMX architecture (both the instrumentation level and the agent level), and it's loaded with real-world examples for implementing Management Extensions. It also contains useful information at the higher level about JMX (the “big picture”) to help technical managers and architects who are evaluating various application management approaches and are considering JMX.

The JMX technology is very new, and according to Steve, still has a few “potholes” in it. This book takes developers through it step by step, pointing out the “gotchas” before they have a chance to trip up smooth operation of the application. The author, a member of the expert group developing the JMX specification, points out that as J2EE becomes more widely adopted, the Java standard for management (JMX) becomes more and more crucial to avoid “splinter standards” where each vendor has their own distinct, arguably successful, way of doing things. “In my own company we have already identified and are tackling the problem of managing our Java applications. It's my belief that other companies will follow, as they come to realize the power that a standard manageability solution (ie, JMX) gives them.

Contents

Preface

1. Java Management Extensions Concepts
     Introducing JMX
     JMX Architecture
     The Sample Producer/Consumer Application

2. Standard MBeans
     What Is a Management Interface?
     How Do Standard MBeans Work?
     Downloading and Installing the JMX Reference Implementation

3. Dynamic MBeans
     Why Use Dynamic MBeans?
     How Do Dynamic MBeans Work?
     Dynamic MBean Inheritance Patterns

4. Model MBeans
     Why Use Model MBeans?
     How Do Model MBeans Work?
     Instrumenting Resources as Model MBeans

5. Open MBeans
     Open MBean Types
     Open MBean Metadata Classes

6. The MBean Server
     What Is the MBean Server?
     Obtaining a Reference to the MBean Server
     The MBeanServer Interface
     Controlling MBean Registration
     MBeanServerDelegate

7. JMX Notifications
     The JMX Notification Model
     JMX Notification Classes and Interfaces

8. Dynamic Loading
     Overview
     How Does Dynamic Loading Work?

9. The Monitoring Services
     The MonitorNotification Class
     Counter Monitors
     Gauge Monitors
     String Monitors
     Other Issues

10. The Timer Service
     The Timer Class
     Using the Timer Service

11. The Relation Service
     Introduction
     The Basic Relation Service Classes
     Using the Relation Service
     Using the Relation Service Support Classes
     Modifying a Role

Index